Help Keith improve quality of life w Parkinson's

HELP FOR KEITH TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE WITH PARKINSONS DISEASE

We (Sue Averett and Erick Westphal) feel very blessed to know Keith Van Wetter. He is a person we highly admire for his caring, compassionate, conscientious nature, as well as his brilliant mind and the beautiful stories he has shared with us from his life. He was a very active musician (piano, trombone, choir, bands), as well as an actor in community theater, for many years until he contracted Parkinson’s Disease (PD), for which he received a diagnosis in 2006. The PD diagnosis came after having had mononucleosis years before, and also a mystery virus somewhere along the way that perhaps may have contributed to his developing PD.

In the few years we’ve known Keith, we’ve witnessed him gradually losing more and more of his motor control, his ability to speak and communicate, and his tremors increase to the point that he is now wheel-chair or bed-bound pretty much all the time. And yet he perseveres in researching promising treatments for those affected by PD. Thankfully his mind is sharp and inquisitive.

Keith has explored numerous kinds of treatments from western, eastern and holistic modalities, and while some help more than others, he continues to hope for something that will greatly improve his quality of life. He has recently learned of therapeutic hydrogen therapy, which requires a few pieces of equipment to be able to take advantage of the benefits from it. Keith recently reached out to us to ask if we’d be willing to help him set up a Go Fund Me to raise the needed funds as he is unable to physically manage setting up the funding request for himself. We did not hesitate to say yes to this request. We hope very much that enough people will be able to contribute a little or a lot so that Keith can purchase the equipment and various attachments (he’s looking at the Aquacure AC50) to utilize this therapy that has significantly improved the quality of life of many PD sufferers.

Keith currently is residing in a group home as his aging parents could no longer meet his complex caregiving needs. His income is limited to what he receives from the State of WA for his disability, and the vast majority of that money goes to pay for his residency in the group home for those with specialized medical needs.

Our fondest hope is that $4000 can be raised for Keith to purchase this equipment, and that it helps him regain a higher level of functionality and an improved quality of life that he is so deserving of. His optimism in the face of PD has been truly amazing and inspirational. If you can help with his request in any amount, Keith will be unendingly grateful. And if you will also consider forwarding this request to others that you think may be interested, that would also be very greatly appreciated. Thank you from Keith, and from the two of us!

Sue Averett & Erick Westphal